For high speed signal transmission purposes and possibly for other purposes it is often the case that coaxial cables are used. The advantages of coaxial cables are, of course, well known and include, for example, the ability to provide shielding functions to prevent escape of electromagnetic energy and/or undesirable input of electromagnetic energy with respect to signal conductors. Another example has to do with impedance characteristics that improve accuracy and/or efficiency, e.g. speed, of signal transmission and of transmitted signal characteristics.
An exemplary coaxial cable typically includes a signal conductor, a shield or ground conductor and appropriate insulation. Sometimes a drain wire is used, for example, to improve the integrity of the shield conductor. Ordinarily the signal conductor is located at the radial center of the coaxial cable and insulation separates the signal conductor from the radially outer and usually surrounding shield conductor. The shield conductor may be, for example, a hollow cylinder with a solid wall or a braided material. Various insulation materials are used to separate the signal and shield conductors, as is well known; and it usually is the case that further insulation is used on the outside of the shield conductor as well. Usually the signal conductor is used to conduct an electrical signal that has a particular purpose, information content, etc., and usually the shield conductor is connected to a source of reference electrical potential, such as ground potential relative to the level of the signals typically carried by the signal conductor. The foregoing signal carrying functions and connections, of course, are exemplary only, and it will be appreciated that the conductors of the coaxial cable may be used for other signal carrying/conducting purposes, too.
Various techniques have been used in the past to terminate a coaxial cable. The present invention provides improvements for terminating coaxial cable and for connecting the cable to other conductors while minimizing signal degradation and while substantially maintaining in the terminator electrical characteristics similar to those in the coaxial cable.